Show Connector Trails
This trail is located close to or on open water, wetlands, or floodplain. Please use caution and be alert for water near or on the trail. Be alert for flooding and swiftly moving water. Check with your local trail manager for more information on closures during periods of high water.
Trailhead Information
There are many parking areas or trail/road intersections where trail enthusiasts can access the GIT - see the above map. This section of the GIT in the Quad Cities Region passes through, or nearby, the cities of (clockwise from the eastern Henry County border): Annawan, Atkinson, Geneseo, Colona, Carbon Cliff, Silvis, East Moline, Hampton, Rapids City, Port Byron, and Cordova.
Description
The Quad Cities portion of the Grand Illinois Trail follows numerous other designated trails. The GIT follows the Mississippi River Trail/Great River Trail from the Rock Island County/Whiteside County Line to East Moline, where it turns to share the same path with the American Discovery Trail through Silvis, Carbon Cliff, and Colona. From there, it continues east along the Hennepin Canal Parkway Trail.
As it loops more than 500 miles between Lake Michigan and the Mississippi River, the entire Grand Illinois Trail joins together existing and proposed state and local trails to create the state’s longest continuous trail. It hugs historic canals, crosses unglaciated hills, parallels the Rock and Fox Rivers, and includes one of America’s first rail-trails.
Other Information
In the early 1990s, with the growing network of northern Illinois trails, the DNR suggested a "Grand Illinois Trail" in the Illinois State Trails Plan. The concept was enthusiastically supported by cities and villages; park, forest preserve, and conservation districts; and non-profit organizations; the many local partners involved in the Grand Illinois Trail.
Sections of the Grand Ilinois Trail in this region are also part of the Mississippi River Trail (MRT), the Great River Trail (GRT), and the American Discovery Trail (ADT). In its entirety, the Mississippi River Trail -- coursing along America’s backbone, the Mississippi River, from its headwaters in Itasca, Minnesota to the Gulf of Mexico -- offers approximately 3,000 miles of on-road bikeways and pedestrian and bicycle pathways. The Great River Trail runs some 66 miles along the Mississippi River from the Quad Cities (Sunset Park in Rock Island) to Savanna, Illinois. The American Discovery Trail traverses the U.S., coast to coast, from California to Delaware for more than 6,800 miles across 15 states.
The Rock River Trail is a system of recreational trails on and along the Rock River that goes through 11 counties in Wisconsin and Illinois. This QC Trails featured trail is part of that network. The Rock River Trail was established in 2010 to promote recreational use and appreciation of all 320 miles of the Rock River. Visit the trail online to learn more about how to hike, bike, paddle, horseback ride, drive, fly, or appreciate history, art, or chocolate along the trail!
Elevation Profile
The Grand Illinois Trail in the Quad Cities region is comprised of many local trails along its route. Please refer to the individual trails that are listed under the section "Show Connector Trails" and view trail postings to see their elevation profiles. [Note: some of these connector trails are trails that intersect the GIT, but are not the GIT route itself.]
Trail Managers
Visit the Illinois Department of Natural Resources Greenways and Trails Program online for more information including a user's guide or contact local trail managers:
City of East Moline, Illinois
Parks Department
East Moline City Hall
915 16th Avenue
East Moline, IL 61244
Phone: (309) 752-1573
Rock Island County Forest Preserve District
19406 Loud Thunder Road
Illinois City, IL 61259
Phone: (309) 795-1040
jcraver@ricfpd.org
Village of Cordova, Illinois
906 Main Avenue
Cordova, IL 61242
Phone: (309) 654-2620
cordovavillage@mchsi.com
Village of Hampton, Illinois
P.O. Box 77
520 1st Avenue
Hampton, IL 61256
Phone: (309) 755-7165
mtoalson@hamptonil.org
Village of Port Byron, Illinois
P.O. Box 438
120 S. Main Street
Port Byron, IL 61275
Phone: (309) 523-3705
portbyronclerk@mediacombb.net
Village of Rapids City, Illinois
P.O. Box 134
1204 4th Avenue
Rapids City, IL 61278
Phone: (309) 496-2321
r.village@mchsi.com
Illinois Department of Natural Resources
One Natural Resources Way
Springfield, IL 62702-1271
Phone: (217) 782-6302
DNR.Greenway@illinois.gov
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